Australia is all set to take on the Sri Lanka in Match 14 of the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 on Monday, October 16 at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow. Both the teams have a star-studded squad that can change the course of the game with their abilities. Australia is the favourite to win this encounter against Sri Lanka.
Australia and Sri Lanka have a fierce rivalry in the format. Both teams have played 103 ODI matches, with Australia winning 63 games and Sri Lanka winning 36 games so far in the head to head encounters. In this article, we will take a look at the key player battles to watch out for in the match 14 of the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 between Australia and Sri Lanka.
Also Read: ICC ODI World Cup 2023: Australia vs Sri Lanka Weather Forecast and Pitch Report for Today Match
Here are three player battles to watch out for during AUS vs SL match:
1) Mitchell Marsh vs Dunith Wellalage
Mitchell Marsh and Dunith Wellalage clashed during the 2022 ODI Series in Sri Lanka, where the spinner posed a significant challenge for the Australian batter. Wellalage managed to dismiss Marsh twice in three matches, giving away only 15 runs from 26 deliveries. He bowled 19 dot balls against the right-handed batter. Wellalage aims to replicate his past performance in the upcoming ICC ODI Cricket World Cup match.
2) Kusal Mendis vs Josh Hazlewood
The battle between Kusal Mendis and Josh Hazlewood promises to be an intriguing contest. Mendis has been in exceptional form during the ICC ODI World Cup 2023, having scored a fifty and a hundred in the tournament. On the other hand, Josh Hazlewood holds the top ranking among ODI bowlers. They have faced each other 7 times in ODIs, with Hazlewood managing to dismiss Mendis once. Mendis has accumulated 59 runs from 71 deliveries in these encounters.
3) David Warner vs Dhanajaya de Silva
Australian opener David Warner has struggled against Dhanajaya de Silva in ODI cricket. Warner has faced difficulties in handling the Sri Lankan spinner and has been dismissed in all four of their previous encounters. He holds an average of 9.2, having scored 37 runs from 60 deliveries against Dhanajaya de Silva. It will be intriguing to see if Dhanajaya de Silva can maintain this trend in their upcoming battle.
